I'm electrically biased, so that was the main reason. If I was a plumber, maybe I'd lean the other way.

Other reasons are the quick ramp times of the mash steps, you don't need a full HLT of agitated water, and as I had no practical experience of either, MY logic led me to think that RIMS would be more precise, quicker to react and less complex.

BUT, I have never built or used HERMS and there are plenty of counter arguments.

I'm electrically biased, so that was the main reason. If I was a plumber, maybe I'd lean the other way.

Other reasons are the quick ramp times of the mash steps, you don't need a full HLT of agitated water, and as I had no practical experience of either, MY logic led me to think that RIMS would be more precise, quicker to react and less complex.

I think you're right there are pros and cons of both solutions, but properly designed they achieve the same end result. The reason I went HERMS is simply that the appropriate hardware was not easily available, with the LWD small socket elements from Mr Lard , I'd probably go RIMS as it is a simpler solutions.

I will say that those HERMS built on an agitated HLT are not ideally representative of a good HERMS build. I have a very small self contained HERMS unit which is a 6L stock pot with a Kettle element mounted vertically though the base, and a small copper coil. I can get ramp times of 2-3C per min in my 25L mash Tun and 1-2C per min in my 50L mash tun (Both Thermoboxes) I still think a HERMS (well designed ) is less likely to scorch the wort because of the fact that the wort is decoupled from the heating element, but in a well designed RIMS the risk is very low. . . . Cleaning a RIMS is MUCH easier.

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Albert Einstein wrote:Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.